A new roof is needed at Pinelands Regional High school in Little Egg Harbor Township, Wednesday Jan. 18, 2017. Last fall's referendum to raise money for repairs to the aging building failed to pass. Structural issues and water damage have forced the school to close nine classrooms and a fire escape route. (Michael Ein/Staff Photographer)

Pinelands students find elbow room in the atrium during lunch. Brennan says high school and the junior high are used almost year-round by the community for meeting space, so adding air-conditioning is important for health and allergy reasons. The high school also was an evacuation site during Hurricane Sandy.

Business Administrator Steve Brennan, of Manahawkin, discusses the building's structural issues at Pinelands Regional High school in Little Egg Harbor Township, Wednesday Jan. 18, 2017. Last fall's referendum to raise money for repairs to the aging building failed to pass. Structural issues and water damage have forced the school to close nine classrooms and a fire escape route. (Michael Ein/Staff Photographer)

Students at Pinelands Regional High school in Little Egg Harbor Township spend their lunch break near the water damaged section of the school, Wednesday Jan. 18, 2017. Last fall’s referendum to raise money for repairs to the aging building failed to pass. Structural issues and water damage have forced the school to close nine classrooms and a fire escape stairwell. (Michael Ein/Staff Photographer)

Jan. 18, 2017. Last fall’s referendum to raise money for repairs to the aging building failed to pass. Structural issues and water damage have forced the school to close nine classrooms and a fire escape stairwell. (Michael Ein/Staff Photographer)

A new roof is needed at Pinelands Regional High school in Little Egg Harbor Township, Wednesday Jan. 18, 2017. Last fall's referendum to raise money for repairs to the aging building failed to pass. Structural issues and water damage have forced the school to close nine classrooms and a fire escape route. (Michael Ein/Staff Photographer)

A covered scaffold highlights the building's structural issues at Pinelands Regional High school in Little Egg Harbor Township, Wednesday Jan. 18, 2017. Last fall's referendum to raise money for repairs to the aging building failed to pass. Structural issues and water damage have forced the school to close nine classrooms and a fire escape route. (Michael Ein/Staff Photographer)

Nine classrooms at Pinelands Regional High school in Little Egg Harbor Township are closed, Wednesday Jan. 18, 2017, due to fire egress issues brought about from the closure of a fire stairwell. Last fall's referendum to raise money for repairs to the aging building failed to pass. Structural issues and water damage have forced the school to close nine classrooms and a fire escape stairwell. (Michael Ein/Staff Photographer)

A covered scaffold at the school's main entrance highlights the building's structural issues at Pinelands Regional High school in Little Egg Harbor Township, Wednesday Jan. 18, 2017. Last fall's referendum to raise money for repairs to the aging building failed to pass. Structural issues and water damage have forced the school to close nine classrooms and a fire escape route. (Michael Ein/Staff Photographer)

Brennan School Business Administrator Steve Brennan, of Manahawkin, Stafford Township, says, ‘The roof is at the end of its useful life. Water is starting to penetrate. It is a clash of everything happening at once.’

Asbestos contamination closes Pinelands Regional this week

Brennan School Business Administrator Steve Brennan, of Manahawkin, Stafford Township, says, ‘The roof is at the end of its useful life. Water is starting to penetrate. It is a clash of everything happening at once.’

A new roof is needed at Pinelands Regional High school in Little Egg Harbor Township, Wednesday Jan. 18, 2017. Last fall's referendum to raise money for repairs to the aging building failed to pass. Structural issues and water damage have forced the school to close nine classrooms and a fire escape route. (Michael Ein/Staff Photographer)

Pinelands students find elbow room in the atrium during lunch. Brennan says high school and the junior high are used almost year-round by the community for meeting space, so adding air-conditioning is important for health and allergy reasons. The high school also was an evacuation site during Hurricane Sandy.

Business Administrator Steve Brennan, of Manahawkin, discusses the building's structural issues at Pinelands Regional High school in Little Egg Harbor Township, Wednesday Jan. 18, 2017. Last fall's referendum to raise money for repairs to the aging building failed to pass. Structural issues and water damage have forced the school to close nine classrooms and a fire escape route. (Michael Ein/Staff Photographer)

Students at Pinelands Regional High school in Little Egg Harbor Township spend their lunch break near the water damaged section of the school, Wednesday Jan. 18, 2017. Last fall’s referendum to raise money for repairs to the aging building failed to pass. Structural issues and water damage have forced the school to close nine classrooms and a fire escape stairwell. (Michael Ein/Staff Photographer)

Jan. 18, 2017. Last fall’s referendum to raise money for repairs to the aging building failed to pass. Structural issues and water damage have forced the school to close nine classrooms and a fire escape stairwell. (Michael Ein/Staff Photographer)

A new roof is needed at Pinelands Regional High school in Little Egg Harbor Township, Wednesday Jan. 18, 2017. Last fall's referendum to raise money for repairs to the aging building failed to pass. Structural issues and water damage have forced the school to close nine classrooms and a fire escape route. (Michael Ein/Staff Photographer)

A covered scaffold highlights the building's structural issues at Pinelands Regional High school in Little Egg Harbor Township, Wednesday Jan. 18, 2017. Last fall's referendum to raise money for repairs to the aging building failed to pass. Structural issues and water damage have forced the school to close nine classrooms and a fire escape route. (Michael Ein/Staff Photographer)

Nine classrooms at Pinelands Regional High school in Little Egg Harbor Township are closed, Wednesday Jan. 18, 2017, due to fire egress issues brought about from the closure of a fire stairwell. Last fall's referendum to raise money for repairs to the aging building failed to pass. Structural issues and water damage have forced the school to close nine classrooms and a fire escape stairwell. (Michael Ein/Staff Photographer)

A covered scaffold at the school's main entrance highlights the building's structural issues at Pinelands Regional High school in Little Egg Harbor Township, Wednesday Jan. 18, 2017. Last fall's referendum to raise money for repairs to the aging building failed to pass. Structural issues and water damage have forced the school to close nine classrooms and a fire escape route. (Michael Ein/Staff Photographer)

LITTLE EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — Environmental consultants found no more asbestos in the air at Pinelands Regional High School after the district was closed most of the week due to air contamination related to a roofing project, but more results are pending, school officials said.

Acting Superintendent Cheryl Stevenson said Thursday that no decision will be made on when school will resume until the district receives additional air-quality test results.

The school district’s website was updated Thursday at noon with the latest air-quality report from Oct. 4 that found no evidence of asbestos at the high school from 13 samples. That was the second day of testing. The day prior, the report stated that of 18 samples, “one sample had one asbestos fiber detected, which could be considered background levels.” That was in the hallway by Room 171, according to the report.

The school initially closed Tuesday and Wednesday “as a precautionary measure” to undertake an air-quality test to address concerns brought before the school board at its Oct. 2 meeting, Stevenson said. The asbestos was related to a roofing project completed at the high school this summer.

“The roofing project is an ongoing process. Due to the dust and debris related to the construction, it was necessary to relocate classrooms, which raised general levels of concerns,” Stevenson said. “The original construction of the exterior roof contained Asbestos and it was removed within the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) guidelines. Since Aug. 10, 2017, we have been conducting Asbestos Air Samples to assure that all levels were within state and federal guidelines.”

Testing was performed by TTI Environmental, the district’s environmental consultant.

On Wednesday, a memo from Stevenson on the district website indicated the asbestos contamination issue was resolved.

“I am writing to let parents and staff know that all of the testing has been completed and we have written verification that the Asbestos Air Sampling performed by TTI Enviornmental, the district’s environmental consultant, were found to be within federal and state standards,” Stevenson wrote.

According to the memo, the closing was an additional precaution for the health and safety of the students while waiting for the written air quality tests to arrive Thursday.

The report states the samples were collected as a result of a roofing project “that may have potentially contaminated the indoor space.”

Brennan School Business Administrator Steve Brennan, of Manahawkin, Stafford Township, says, ‘The roof is at the end of its useful life. Water is starting to penetrate. It is a clash of everything happening at once.’

I began covering South Jersey in 2008 after graduating from Rowan University with a degree in journalism. I joined The Press in 2015. In 2013, I was awarded a NJPA award for feature writing as a reporter for The Current of Hamilton Township.

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